The present invention relates generally to storage or waste receptacles for use in vehicle passenger compartments. In particular, the invention relates to a utility receptacle for safely and securely stowing personal objects or waste adjacent a seat position in a vehicle, within the convenient reach of the seat occupant.
For years vehicle operators and their passengers have fought the battle of trying to safely, securely and conveniently stow personal articles or waste within a vehicle. It is not unusual for individuals to seek to stow in vehicles items such as handbags, cassette tapes, compact discs, cellular phones, Dictaphones, toys, snacks and waste. Numerous methods and devices have been tried to temporarily retain such items, but with significant disadvantages.
For instance, placing an object directly on the front floor of a vehicle is unacceptable because the vehicle operator cannot reach the object easily while operating the vehicle. Also, an object on the vehicle floor reduces the available foot space, tends to move when the vehicle is driven, and is subjected to dirt and moisture carried into the vehicle by front seat occupants. Placing waste or a waste container directly on the floor is even more troublesome because it raises additional aesthetic and sanitary concerns. Using the rear floor of a vehicle imposes the same space, aesthetic and sanitary problems for rear seat occupants while further complicating the accessibility problem for front seat occupants.
After-market floor consoles were introduced long ago. Yet, floor consoles often require a raised center tunnel in the vehicle floor for mounting, a feature that is not as common on modern front wheel drive passenger vehicles. Moreover, such floor consoles tend to be unstable, reduce front passenger foot space, and obstruct air flow from floor level heating and cooling ducts. Original equipment floor consoles are more securely mounted and often provide spaces for holding items such as cups, coins, cassette tapes and ashes. However, not every vehicle is originally equipped with a floor console and the space for personal items tends to be very limited and insufficient for larger items commonly carried in vehicles, such as a handbag.
The alternative of placing personal articles, waste or a waste container on a seat is impractical because it reduces available seating and the items are prone to undesired movement and a tendency to fall to the floor when the vehicle is driven (resulting in the above mentioned problems).
Container assemblies that drape over the upright back portion of a seat are typically not securely fastened to the seat back and require bench style seating to permit easy access by the vehicle operator or a front seat passenger. Containers that are designed for attachment to the rear face of a front seat back carry the significant disadvantage of not being within convenient reach of the front seat occupants.
Devices for carrying and restraining animals in a vehicle generally do not provide adequate means to overcome the problem of holding personal objects or waste. Such devices typically are constructed to restrain an animal, not to carry objects of various sizes that also need to be readily accessible. Therefore, use with personal articles or waste would tend to impede the withdrawal of such items from the device.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a vehicle utility receptacle that provides secure mounting in a location that is convenient to seat occupants, and is adaptable to a variety of vehicle interior seating configurations.
More particularly, the present invention provides a vehicle utility receptacle that is mounted adjacent the side of a vehicle seat and is easily accessible to the seat occupant.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a receptacle that is capable of safely and securely holding frequently used relatively large objects, such as a handbag, without impeding retrieval of such items.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle utility receptacle to be attached to a plurality of seats in a manner that permits independent fore and aft movement of the seats.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle utility receptacle that may be removably attached to a vehicle seat.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle utility receptacle that is waterproof.